Window washer&#39;s scaffold



G. J. WHITE ETAL WINDOW WASHERS SCAFFOLD Filed July 29, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 25, 1942. G. J. WHIT Ew- 2,294, 1 WINDOW WASHERS SCAFFOLD Filed July 29, 1940 2 SheetsJ-Sheet z Patented Aug. 25, 1942 UNITED STATE FATE? OFFICE WINDOW WASHER/S SCAFFOLD Galen J. White and Elmer L. Shoemaker, Knoxville, Iowa, assignors of one-third to A. D.

Graves, Knoxville, Iowa 3 Claims.

This invention pertains to a window washers scaffold of that type which is adapted to be carried from place to place by the window washer and to be placed through a window opening from the inside to the exterior of a building and to be supported on the window sill and to the window frame in such a manner that the window washer may stand outside of the window on said platform for washing the window. Usually this type of scaffold is provided with a low railing around its edges, of such height that the scaffold and the railing may be taken through the lower half of the window opening when the lower sash is at its upper position of movement. This railing, however, is so low that the window washer might easily fall backwards or sideways over the top edge of the rail.

It is, therefore, the object of our invention to provide in a scaffold of this type an auxiliary rail carried on top of the lower rail and adapted to be folded to a compact form and to a position of substantially the same height as the lower rail, to permit the scaffold to be moved easily through the lower window opening, and after the scaffold is placed in position the upper railing may then be unfolded, and when so unfolded, of such a height that the washer cannot fall over its top.

A further object of our invention is to provide in a window washers scaffold an improved platform and means for securing the lower end of the inner portion of the lower railing to the platform, wherein the supporting legs may be easily adjusted inwardly or outwardly to accommodate window sills of various widths.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of our improved scaffold;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of our improved Figure 5 is a bottom view of the platform of our improved scaffold; and

Figure 6 is a side elevation of our improved scaffold showing the manner in which the upper railing is folded down and the manner in which the scaffold is applied to a window frame, and

the manner in which the scalfold may be easily taken through the lower window opening.

Our improved scaffold comprises a platform formed of a substantially U-shaped frame member Ill having side members H and an end member l2, said members It] being formed preferably of channel iron. Each end of the members H is provided with a sleeve [3 for receiving a tubular bar i4 adapted to engage the inner face of the window frame 15, with the members H resting on the sill It, as illustrated in Figure 6. Between the members II we have provided cross members ill and I8, which are preferably welded in position so as to form a unitary frame. Supported on top of the members l2, H and I8 we have provided a metallic plate 69, which is also welded in position, said plate It being narrower than the frame It! to provide slots or spaces 28 between the edges of the plate and the members ll.

Supported on the top of the outer ends of the members I! we have provided upwardly extending lugs Z! and 22, and above the inner end of each of the members [I what we shall term a bridge bar 23 having downwardly extending lugs 24 at its ends which are welded to the top edge of the members H so as to provide a space 25 for slidably receiving the legs 26 which surround the members H and have downwardly extending ends 21, the lower ends of which are turned inwardly at 28 to form feet for supporting the said legs 26. A set screw 29 is provided for clamping the said legs 26 to the members II. By this arrangement it will be seen that the legs 25 may be moved either toward or from the window frame to accommodate sills of various widths, the set screw providing means for locking the legs in any of their adjusted positions.

Pivotally mounted to the lugs 2| and 22 and the bridge 23 is a series of upright guard rail members 38, 3! and 32, the lower end of the member 32 being pivoted to the bridge 23 substantially midway between its ends. Pivotally mounted to the upper ends of the said upright guard rails is a U-shapedobar 33, and midway between said bar 33 and the platform is a second U-shaped bar which is also pivoted to said upright bars, the said bars 33 and 34 having bight portions 35 which serve as end rails for the guard. By this means the lower section of the guard is formed in such a manner that it may be folded to a closed position by swinging the upper ends of the upright members inwardly, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, the upright guard members being supported in their upright positions by means of a brace bar 36, each having its lower end pivotally mounted to a short link 31 having a lug 38 and adapted to break past a center line connecting the upper and lower ends of the pivots of the brace bar, so arranged that when the lower ends of the members 31 are moved inwardly the lower guard section is unlocked and capable of being swung inwardly as indicated by dotted lines. The height of the lower guard section is such that the platform and the guard may be placed through the lower end of a window opening without folding the said guard, and which is preferably in the neighborhood of twenty-one inches high.

In order to provide against the operator falling over the guard rail we have provided on the upper end of the said lower section a second foldable section which consists in pivotally mounting on the upper end of each of the members 30, 3| and 32 upright bars 39, 40 and 4|, respectively, and pivotally connecting to these bars, horizontal U-shaped bars 42 in such a manner that the upper ends of the bars 39, 48 and 4| are free to swing outwardly from the window frame, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure l. A jointed brace bar 43 is pivotally connected at its lower end to each of the bars 3!, and its upper end is pivotally connected with the central portion of each of the upright bars 4|. Said braces 43 provide means for locking the upper guard section in its upright or unfolded position when the bar is in its solid line position. When it is desired to fold the upper section, the center of the bar 43 is moved upwardly, which then will unlock the upper section and permit it to be folded to the position illustrated in Fig. 6, to permit the scaffold to be moved through the lower half of the window opening, and at the same time permit the upper section to be extended upwardly above a point even with the bottom edge of the upper window sash and above the lower sash when in its elevated position, so that the guard may be of sufficient height so that an operator cannot accidently fall over the top of the same. The total height of the guard is in the neighborhood of 42 inches. By folding the upper end of the upper guard section outwardly with the lower end of said guard section inwardly, it will be seen that the entire guard may be folded into a compact form on top of the platform, and of minimum length, as illustrated in Figure 4.

The bridge bars 23 provide means for anchoring the lower ends of the bars 32 and 36, and at the same time permit the legs 26 to be adjusted longitudinally of the members II and beneath said bars. The slots 23 also provide means for permitting movement of said legs.

Extending upwardly from the cross bar ll we have provided lugs 44 to which the lower ends of the braces 45 are pivotally connected, the upper ends of the braces 45 being pivotally connected to the bar 33 and serve to stiffen the upright rails against lateral movement.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided a scaffold for window washers which is constructed entirely of metal and in which the lower frame and the floor are welded together in a unitary manner and on which are mounted upper and possible for an operator to accidentally fall over the top of the same.

We claim as our invention:

1. A window washers scaffold, comprising a platform, a guard rail supported on each of its side edges, comprising a series of upright and spaced-apart bars, means pivoting the lower ends of said bars to the corresponding edges of said platform to permit the upper ends of said bars to swing outwardly and downwardly from an upright position to a substantially horizontal folded position, a bar pivoted to the upper end of each of said upright bars to form an auxiliary guard, substantially U-shaped and horizontally arranged bars having their leg portions pivoted to corresponding vertical side bars with the bight portions across the outer end of said guard, braces locking the lower bars in upright position, and brace bars locking the upper vertical bars in upright positions, for the purpose stated.

2. In a window washers scaffold, comprising a platform including side and cross members, a floor plate carried by said cross members, said floor plate being narrower than the width of said platform, supporting legs slidably mounted on each of the side members, a bridge bar supported to and above that portion of each of said side bars slidably supporting said legs, a foldable guard railing supported by the side edges of said platform and said bridge bar, comprising a series of upright spaced apart bars, means pivoting the lower edges of said upright bars to the corresponding edges of said platform and bridge bars to permit the upper ends of said bars to swing outwardly and downwardly from an upright position to substantially a horizontal folded position, a bar pivoted to the upper end of each of the upright bars to form an auxiliary guard, sub stantially U-shaped and horizontally arranged bars having their leg portions pivoted to corresponding vertical side bars with the bight portions across the outer ends of said guards, jointed brace bars having their lower ends pivoted to said bridge bars and their upper ends pivoted to a corresponding one of the first said upright bars, and jointed brace bars for locking the upper vertical bars in an upright position.

3. A window washers scaffold, comprising a platform, including side and cross members, a floor plate supported by said cross bars and fixed thereto, a bridge bar fixed to and above a portion of each of said side members, a foldable guard rail supported by said side members and said bridge bar, said side railing being pivotally connected to said side members and bridge bar to permit them to move to a folded position, said legs being slidably mounted on said side members beneath said bridge bars, and means for locking said legs in any one of their adjuste positions on said side members.

GALEN J. WI-HTE. ELMER L. SHOEMAKER. 

